How To Have a Quiet Time

Goal: To help you understand how to daily connect to God via His Word and prayer.

Summary: Probably the most important key to experiencing a thriving relationship with God is the daily Quiet Time. Just like God provided the Israelites with ‘daily manna’ in the desert, we need to commune with God over ‘our daily bread’ to survive in the desert of this world. Once you understand how to connect/commune with God on a daily basis, you will be able to experience His power, guidance, and love at work, home, and in the community. You will find that establishing and keeping this daily habit will come under attack by the enemy since he knows it is critical to your spiritual health. Maintaining motivation and ‘freshness’ will require dependence on God, prayer, and personal discipline…but the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices. While it is easy enough for anyone to do, there is an ‘ART’ to having a Quiet Time.

Outline: The ART of having a Quiet Time
A= Ask God to Speak to you
R = Read God’s Word & Listen
T = Talk with God in Prayer

1. Getting Started:

1. You need to select a place and a time that works for you.
   Since consistency is the key, having a set place and time of day that is comfortable, practical, and maintainable is essential. It may take you a week or more of ‘trial and error’ to figure out what works best for you. *NOTE: As life changes, you may need to adjust this to fit. (i.e., Having a baby changes routines)
   
2. You should consider selecting material to help you.
   There are many Devotional aids in the Christian bookstore. Over time, you will likely need to experiment with different things to keep your experience ‘fresh’ and maintain motivation.
   *NOTE: The One Year Bible is an excellent resource to begin with as it is already arranged into 365 daily readings. For example, on day 1, you read a few verses in Genesis 1, a few verses in Matthew 1, Psalm 1, and Proverbs 1. The next day, you begin where you left off. At the end of the year, you will have read the entire Bible!

2. Ask God to Speak to you.
Begin by praying and asking God to help you to understand His Word by the power of His Spirit so that your mind and heart are open to His instruction.

3. Read God’s Word & Listen

1. Read the day’s verses.
   If something ‘jumps out at you’, make note of it (underline it, highlight it, or write it down).
   
2. Meditate on what you’ve read.
   Sit quietly and think about the verses, especially the things that ‘jumped out at you. Ask yourself if there is a command to obey, a promise to claim, a sin to repent of, etc.
   
3. Commit to do what you’ve read. Make a decision to obey the command, claim the promise, confess the sin, etc. ASAP.
   

4. Talk with God in Prayer

ADORATION: Tell God what you appreciate about His character, creation, etc.

CONFESSION: Admit sins that come to mind. Ask for forgiveness/cleansing and commit to obey.

THANKSGIVING: Thank God for His provision, love, blessings, presence, help, etc.

SUPPLICATION: Ask God to intervene on specific issues in your life and others lives.

Get more information on the ACTS prayer method.

NOTE: We encourage you to take advantage of the many resources in the church library and Christianbookstores which give much more detail about listening to God, prayer, devotional skills, etc.

ENTER A PRAYER REQUEST to be prayed over by our on-line intercessors. Send your request to prayer@crossroads.org.